Phoenix Suns takeaways: Ryan Dunn looks like steal of draft in win over Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets can blame the Phoenix Suns ' backups for the long film session they had to endure Monday with their upset head coach.

Michael Malone guaranteed it after seeing the Suns pull out a 118-114 victory Sunday at Ball Arena without their projected starting five of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Jusuf Nurkic and Tyus Jones.

Durant, Beal, and Jones rested while Booker (right ankle soreness) and Nurkic (left middle finger) remained out with injuries.

Rookie Ryan Dunn and veteran Monte Morris each scored 20 points in leading the Suns, who shot 23-of-51 from deep. Dunn connected on 6-of-11 from 3-point range, with his final two daggers within the final two minutes of the fourth quarter.

“They outscored us by 33 points from the three-point line,” Malone said after the game. “We dominated the glass, dominated the paint, but got our ass kicked from three. We gave up 37 points in that third quarter, it was embarrassing. So, we have a lot of work to do, that’s what preseason is for.”

Royce O’Neale contributed 17 points and Bol Bol added 14, going for 4-of-5 on 3s. The Nuggets were outscored, 67-54, in the second half despite three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun seeing action in the game’s final 24 minutes.

Julian Strawther, Jokic and Porter each scored 21 points. Jokic nearly posted a triple-double with 14 boards and nine assists. The Nuggets were trying to win, but Phoenix denied their objective with backups be it in the preseason.

“(Monday) we will watch a lot of film, there’s a lot to clean up, practice and try to continue to pull it out of our guys,” Malone said as the Nuggets are 0-3 in the preseason. “We only have two more chances in the preseason as we prepare for opening night.”

Grayson Allen (right Achilles) and Booker didn’t make the trip to Denver as Allen has missed Phoenix’s last three preseason games. Josh Okogie (right hamstring) didn’t play, either, but the Suns rallied to improve to 3-1 in the preseason.

“A good night for the guys,” Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said. “So guys who haven’t played as much got an opportunity. Went deep into the bench and those guys were great competing, second half especially. Playing together, finding ways to get stops. It was good for us.”

Here are three takeaways from Phoenix’s comeback victory after trailing by as many as 13 points in the first half. The Suns conclude preseason play Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers at Footprint Center. They open the 2024-25 regular season on Oct. 23 at the Los Angeles Clippers.

Dunn getting it done from 3, on defense

Ryan Dunn made 12 total 3s in two years at Virginia — five as a freshman, seven more his sophomore season — on 51 attempts. So, there was reason to question his 3-point shot going into the 2024 NBA Draft.

Then he went 1-of-13 from distance in four NBA Summer League games in Las Vegas. That validated scouting reports, but several teammates had been saying Dunn could cook from deep.

He’s been overheating so far this preseason.

Dunn now is 12-of-27 on 3s — and this is with a 1-of-5 effort from distance Thursday against the Pistons. He’s taken more 3s than anyone on the team this preseason.

That is truly insane, but it shows three things.

One, he’s confident. Very confident. No hesitation.

Two, his teammates and coaches are not only good with him launching 3s, but they’re encouraging him to do so. Three, the Suns are fully bought into taking a ton of 3s this season.

Former coach Frank Vogel wanted more 3-point attempts last season, but the Suns weren’t fully committed to the idea as a whole. They are now and Dunn is the most unlikely person to contribute to this agenda based on his lack of production from 3 in college and summer league.

Dunn made it to the league by way of playing stifling defense. Nothing has changed there.

He’s just doing it at the highest level and seeking out the opposing team’s best perimeter player, but Dunn has since found a 3-point shot. If he keeps cashing in 3s and the Suns move their way into that top four in the West, Dunn will start looking like the steal of the draft as a late first-rounder.

Take heed starters

Yes, it’s preseason.

Guys who aren’t as established usually play harder than those who are in the preseason, but the starters could learn a thing or two from the backups.

Playing with effort and energy is contagious. From Damion Lee to Collin Gillespie to O’Neale, they were exerting themselves in the high altitude in their second game in three days. They moved the ball in racking up 29 assists with Gillespie doing damage with the drive-and-kick. Finishing with six assists, Gillespie maneuvered into the paint and found guys for corner 3s.

The Suns want to get up 3s, but they still need to penetrate the lane to keep the defense moving. They had tremendous ball movement, player movement Sunday that led to open catch-and-shoot 3s.

Then defensively, they competed. From O’Neale fouling to prevent layups, Dunn collecting three blocks and the team calculating nine steals, they scrapped against the bigger Nuggets.

Denver still trucked Phoenix inside with 58 points in the paint and 22 second-chance points. Phoenix nullified that with a barrage of 3s, but the Suns got timely, repeated stops in the fourth.

Playing for minutes

The emergence of rookies Oso Ighodaro and Dunn must have guys like Mason Plumlee, Bol and Okogie at least thinking about their playing time early in the regular season.

Plumlee surely will begin the regular season as Nurkic’s backup. Veteran guy. Physical. Smart. He does the dirty work, but Ighodaro has a stronger skill set offensively that enables the Suns to play slightly differently because of his ability to catch, move and pass or score out of the pocket.

Dunn has earned a spot in the rotation. Can’t keep him out now, especially when seeing how the vets are reacting to his play. The Suns are an older team that needs youthful energy.

Dunn and Ighodaro are providing that.

Okogie’s 3-point shot looks better. He’s a great athlete who defends, makes hustle plays, but Dunn does those things as well and is knocking down 3s, too. Plus Okogie is nursing a hamstring injury.

As for Bol, this is tough. Allen, O’Neale and Plumlee are in the rotation opening night Oct. 23. Morris is the backup point guard to Jones. So that leaves one more spot that right now Dunn appears to have on lock.

Budenholzer could go deeper into his bench and find minutes for Bol, Okogie or even Lee, who is back after missing all last season with a knee injury. He's looked solid in preseason and knocks down catch-and-shoot 3s.

Vogel insisted on having at least one of the Big 3 of Booker, Durant and Beal on the court, if not two of them, last season. The Suns appear to have improved depth this season that may lead Budenholzer going with a full five-man second unit or having four reserves on the court along with Booker, Durant and Beal.

Matchups will dictate who plays to a certain degree. Rotations are going to be pivotal, but Budenholzer seems to have options.

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin .

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns takeaways: Ryan Dunn looks like steal of draft in win over Nuggets